Jig Man

I recommend that you do some reading on pouring and mold making before you jump into the game. I'd also recommend that you pick out a mold and buy it, pour some baits, then decide about making molds. The best place to learn about all this is tackle underground. Check out Lure Craft, Jann's Netcraft, Bear's, Barlows Tackle, just to name a few to see what they have to offer. It is quite a hobby to get into. I make baits all the time and my own molds. It really gets addictive. Here is a link to the same topic here on BR.

Like Dave said only go for one at a time. I have been into plastic for a lot of years and have a bunch of molds that I have made and several that I have bought. You can copy most anything, though if you try to sell something with a patent you'll likely find yourself in a big law suit. That being said I use Bondo from O'Reilly's to make my molds. I'll try to post some pics of what I do but some of my hosts can't post here. Here are some of my Bondo molds. I glue baits down in a pan. Spray everything with oil and pour in the bondo.

I run an O2 Opti. It has over 500 hours. I use a water seperating fuel filter. I dump it after 6 months and replace it after 12 months. I am seeing no problems to date.

I use a pair of snap ring pliers. I stick them inside the band and spread it as I put the hook through it. I push the band in place and remove the pliers. That is the way I make spinnerbait skirts and jigs.

I have done mine once when I was planning a 1500 mile trip. The mfg of my stuff says I should be able to do 100,000 miles with no problem but I still had to have a look.

Send GMAN a pm and see what he can do for you.

I tried a bunch and the best I have found is Costas amber and they are darker than I want but Annie the "costa queen" at BPS said grey is much darker.

Before I bought any Wal-Mart deep cycles I'd check the warranty. Some stores have discontinued the warranty on them.

Use the lard up pretty quick as it will get a very rancid odor after it gets old.

I had the same problem with that bait so I switched to the Boy Howdy. I sits with the tail down in the water. I got many more hookups that way. So maybe you should add a bit of weight to the back and see if that helps.

Here is what I do.

I am running an Opti and when I keep the throttle back it gets really good mileage. Mine has 500 hours and only regular maintainence. I ran a Lowe for a lot of years and they hold up really well. If you are not going to be on big water it will do you a good job and should run in the lower 50s wot.

I sometimes use this method with an insert. Just make a slit in the bottom and stick the head inside. 3/0 hooks work best for me. The hook in the pic isn't imbedded. Just skin hook it.

Of the ones you listed I'd go for the Lowe though you didn't mention what motor is has except 115.

It looks more like a pike than a pickerel to me but I haven't seen one in years.

We use lure dye and magic markers.

The 2d sonar from one to the other can be a problem. I'd set sens at mid 80s and see how it does. Use the 200 kHz sonar frequency and the highest number 800 I think for SS. I run contrast in lower 60s and normally 100 or less on side scan range. On 2d I use upper and lower limits to take away surface clutter. Ping speed on my console unit is set to 19.

I can see them better on down scan than side scan. For me on sidescan they are usually small white dots around cover. I think this is a big cat swimming under the boat. Here is a spoonbill swimming under the boat. Here are some white bass close to a school of shad.

Never. I know of no reason to run the gasoline out of any motor. I used to do that with a chainsaw until the tech at the shop said it was bad for the carb. He said if I were concerned then use a stabilizer.

X2

Measure the inside diameter of the hole.

I don't know if it would digest or not. I saw a similar instance once. I had a smallmouth on a jig with a beaver trailer. It jumped and spit the jig. The beaver was gone. A few minutes later my fishing pardner caught a smallmouth. While he was unhooking it, it spit up my beaver which it evidently had swallowed.

X2 on the xducer protector. I have one from transducer shields and savers.

I've never had a problem with the wire and some of it has been tied long enough that the rubber is about to dry rot. If you want to get into this easy, contact GMAN or CADMAN and have them make you up some heads either painted or unpainted. CADMAN also sells powder paint very reasonably. If you jump into this hole hog it will cost you a few hundred dollars for everything you need. You can get started with some skirts and or skirting material and pre made heads. That may tell you whether or not you want to proceed.

To me hand tied means hand made. I do mine 3 different ways: tie with thread using a bobbin and whip on the bucktails, tie with copper using 2 pairs of pliers on the living rubber jigs, and band the silicone ones.